Canberra Girls Grammar School (CGGS) has welcomed boarders since it opened in 1926.
Boarding life enables the school to educate the whole person for the wider world, from within a close and happy community where self-realisation, challenges and self-esteem are nurtured.
Head of boarding Tina Twigg said life in the BoHo at CGGS is similar to a typical family environment.
“Children develop important skills and values in a family environment; parents encourage their children to be creative and innovative thinkers all within the security and structure of their family unit,” she said.
“This also happens in a boarding house setting, only multiplied and multi-faceted. Boarders learn the skills of resilience and self-discipline very early on.
“They must work out ways to live independently and co-operatively. They must be creative in their thinking on how they deal with and adapt to many situations outside their comfort zone.”
Staff within the boarding house have developed an innovative approach to helping boarders ‘own’ their decisions and actions.
The boarders’ council encourages girls to think outside the square and work collaboratively when dealing with the inevitable issues that come with boarding house life.
Representatives from each year group sit on the boarders’ council where ideas are debated; proactive thoughts collected and then brought to the head of boarding for discussion.
This approach not only leads to resolutions, but also gives students the chance to extend their problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
Another avenue for girls to team up and share ideas are weekly ‘Family Dinners’. Every boarder is allocated to a family group and Sunday nights, after chapel, ‘families’ gather to share a meal and chat about life in the boarding house.
Year 8 boarder Emma Nason, Exeter, said she loves the family dinners.
“It is nice to spend time with the older girls and I love hearing their stories and their advice,” she said.
- Visit www.cggs.act.edu.au
